Video Tracer Circuit Diagram

This circuit was designed as an aid to installers and maintainers of video systems. It is basically a video sync separator (IC1) followed by a LED and buzzer driver (IC2, Q1 & Q2). In use, the device is connected to a video cable and if there is video present, the LED will flash at about 10Hz. If there is no video, the LED flashes briefly every couple of seconds. A buzzer can also be switched in to provide an audible indication. The buzzer is particularly useful when tracing cabling faults or trying to find a correct cable amongst many, where it is difficult to keep an eye on the LED.

Another use for the buzzer option is to provide a video fault indication. For example, it could be inserted in bridging mode, with switch S1 in high impedance mode (position 2) across a video line and set to alarm when there is no video present. If someone pulls out a cable or the video source is powered off, the alarm would sound. IC1 is a standard LM1881 video sync separator circuit and 75Ω termination can be switched in or out with switch S1a. The other pole of the switch, S1b, turns on the power. The composite sync output at pin 1 is low with no video input and it pulses high when composite sync is detected.

Video Tracer Circuit diagram:

These pulses charge a 100nF capacitor via diode D1. When there is no video at the input, oscillator IC2b is enabled and provides a short pulse every couple of seconds to flash the LED. The duty cycle is altered by including D2, so that the discharge time for the 10μF capacitor is much shorter than the charge time. The short LED pulse is used as a power-on indicator drawing minimal average current. When video is present at the input, IC2b is disabled and IC2d is enabled. The output of IC2d provides a 10Hz square wave signal to flash the LED. The buzzer is controlled by switch S2. In position 2 the buzzer will sound when there is video at the input and in position 1 the buzzer will sound when there is no video at the input.

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Pulse Generator And Signal Tracer Circuit Diagram

Dual-purpose test-instrument, Very simple circuitry, 1.5V Battery-operated. This simple circuit generates narrow pulses at about 700-800Hz frequency. The pulses, containing harmonics up to the MHz region, can be injected into audio or radio-frequency stages of amplifiers, receivers and the like for testing purposes. A high-pitched tone can be heard from the speaker of the device under test when all is working properly. The clip must be connected to the ground of the device under test, touching with the probe the different stages of the circuit, starting from the last stage and going up towards the first. When the tone is no longer heard, the defective stage has been found.

Connecting an earclip or headphone to J1, the circuit will automatically change into a two-stage amplifier and any audio signal coming from the device under test and picked-up by the probe will be heard through the headphones. The testing of a circuit should be made in the reverse manner, i.e. starting from the first stage and going down until the last stage. When nothing is heard, the defective stage has been found.

Circuit diagram:

Pulse Generator And Signal Tracer Circuit Diagram

Parts:
R1________________1M 1/4W Resistor
R2,R4_____________2K7 1/4W Resistors
R3________________150K 1/4W Resistor
C1________________2n2 630V Ceramic or Polyester Capacitor (See Notes)
C2,C3_____________4n7 63V Ceramic or Polyester Capacitors
D1_______________1N4148 75V 150mA Diode
Q1_______________BC547 45V 100mA NPN Transistor
Q2_______________BC557 45V 100mA PNP Transistor
SW1______________SPST miniature Slider Switch (See Notes)
J1_______________Stereo switched 3mm. Jack socket (See Notes)
Probe____________Metal Probe 3 to 5 cm. long
Clip______________Miniature Crocodile Clip
B1_______________1.5V Battery (AA or AAA cell etc.)

Circuit operation:

Q1 & Q2 form a complementary astable multivibrator, whose operating frequency is set mainly by R3, C2 & C3 values. Output pulses are taken at Q2 Collector and applied to the probe by means of decoupling capacitor C1. D1 provides a symmetrical shape for the output waveform. If an earclip or headphone jack is plugged into J1, the connection from Q2 Collector and C1 - C2 is broken by the switch incorporated into J1: in this case the circuit becomes a two-stage amplifier.

Notes:

• If you intend to use the circuit to test valve operated devices C1 must be a 630V type. Working with low voltage supply transistor devices the voltage of C1 can be lowered to 63 or 100V.
• If instead of a short probe, you intend to connect the circuit to the device under test by means of a piece of wire longer than a few centimeters, a small ceramic capacitor (470 to 1000pF) should be added in parallel to D1 to prevent unwanted RF oscillation.
• Current drawing when in Pulse-Generator mode is about 60µA and 1.2mA when in Signal-Tracer mode operation. Therefore SW1 can be omitted, provided that the earclip or headphones are unplugged when the circuit is unused.
• J1 is a stereo switched jack socket wired to obtain a series connection of the two earpieces forming a stereo headphone. In this manner the circuit is loaded with a higher impedance and sensitivity will be improved.
• Therefore, the higher the load impedance the more sensitive the Signal-Tracer. In any case, common 32 Ohm impedance mini-headphones suitable for walkman sets will work fine.
• A crystal (high impedance) earpiece is a good solution, provided you substitute J1 with a mono switched jack socket.
• The entire circuit can be easily fitted into a pen-like enclosure, with the probe protruding like a nib.

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Wire Tracer Receiver

The schema depicted is the receiver device of a transmitter/receiver combination that will prove extremely handy when tracing the path of electrical wiring in a building or to locate a break in a wire. The corresponding transmitter may be found elsewhere in this issue. The transmitter produces a distinctive tone which alternates between 2100 Hz and 2200 Hz.

Circuit diagram :

Wire Tracer (Receiver)  Circuit Diagram

The matching receiver for the wire tracer is possibly even simpler than the transmitter, as is shown by the schematic. It consists of no more than a short wire antenna (a piece of wire, 10 cm long is adequate), a high-pass filter (C1-R1), an amplifier stage (IC1), an output stage (T1) and a loudspeaker. The prototype used a high impedance loudspeaker from a telephone handset, and this worked remarkably well.

The purpose of P1 is to adjust the amplification. At the highest amplification, the wire energised by the transmitter can be traced from several tens of centimetres away. A direct electrical connection is therefore not required. How-ever, it is important that you hold the ground connection (earth) in your hand.

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